Top lubricating system



Aug. 25, 1931. F. M. KINCAID TOP LUBRIGATING SYSTEM Filed April 14, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 71 527251: fiank'M (ducal; (Z.

Aug. 25, 1931. F. M. KlNCAlD TOP LUBRICATING SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 14. 1928 d a .2 J 1 z 2 IMM W wmhmw g fl n Aug. 25, 1931. F. M. KINCAID 1,820,705

TOP LUBRICATING SYSTEM Filed April 14, 1928 5 Sheets-Shee 5 nvan 571-.- Fnmk Kznmaz;

mm H N & m 3 4%? w Patented Aug. 25, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK M. KINCAIII F LIMA, OHIO, A SSIGNOR TO WILLIAM R. BASSICK, OF CHIAGO,

q ILLINOIS wror LUBRICATING SYSTEM Application filed April 14,

This invention relates to an automatic lu bricator for the cylinders and valves of internal combustion engines.

It is an object of this invention to provide '5 an improved vacuum operated and controlled lubricating system for the combustion chambers of internal combustion engines.

It is well known that the intake manifold sub-atmospheric pressure varies from a maximum depression at idling speeds with a nearly closed throttle, to a minimum under full load with a wide open throttle. Therefore, a lubricating system for the purpose described which utilizes the unmodified suction in the intake manifold to draw lubricant thereinto will deliver a maximum of oil at idling speeds when it is least'needed, an arrangement highly undesirable from the standpoint of carbon formation aside from the waste of lubricant. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a control mechanism for automatically regulating the delivery of oil in inverse ratio to the magnitude of the suction in the manifold.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of the class described wherein the control mechanism acts as a nonreturn valve to prevent lubricant being blown out of the container in case of back- 0 firing in the engine manifold.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simple self contained and automatic lubricating system that can be installed by unskilled labor, requiring only the attachment of a tube between the container and the usual intake manifold connection.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

This invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the d awings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of an internal combustion engine together with a section of the dash of a vehicle to illustrate the mounting of a device embodying one form of the features of this invention.

1928. Serial No. 269,884.

' Figure 2 is a front elevation of the lubricant container shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an end section on the line VV of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a section on the line VIVI of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a vertical section of a container embodying a modified form of valve structure.

Figure 8 is a section of another modified form.

Figure 9 is a section of another modified form.

Figure 10 is a section of another modified form.

7 As shown on the drawings:

An internal combustion engine is indicated generically by the numeral 15, the. usual intake manifold 16 being the only part thereof requiring specific mention. -This manifold is formed with a tapped hole to receive a tubing elbow 17, usually provided for vacuum fuel tanks. If such a tank is in use, a T fitting is substituted for the elbow 17 in order to provide an extra connection for the lubricating system forming the subject matter of this invention.

The lubricant reservoir or tank comprises ahead fitting or cap member which varies in form in the different modifications shown but has in common an integral mounting bracket 18 for attachment to the vehicle dash 19, and a downwardly opening peripheral recess 20 to receive the flanged top 21 of a glass cup-like container 22 which is held thereagainst by a bail 23 pivoted in bosses 24 in the cap and having a central extensible member 25 to engage below the bottom of the cup-like container to force the same upwardly into sealing engagement with the cap recess, a gasket 26 being provided between the cap and container flang The form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 6 utilizes a plate like cap member 30. A central apertured boss extends above and below the pilate, the depending portion 31 receiving a t readed cap 32 containing a filtering element 33 such as felt and having a tube 34 extending downwardly to adjacent the bottom of the container 22. The central aperture 35 in the boss is adapted to receive a loosely fitted valve plug 36, a passage 37 tapering towards the top being out in the wall of the boss past the plug when in its lowermost position. The plug is urged downwardly by a light spring 38, the compression of which is adjustable by means of an externally adjustable plug 39 threaded into the upwardly projecting portion 40 of the boss. This plug 39 carries a central rod 41 forming a. stop limiting the upward movement of the valve plug 36.

A side outlet passage 42 is formed with a sight feed portion 43 and leads from the central aperture 35 to a compression nipple 44 having atube 45 leading to the manifold connection 17.

Fi ure 7 differs from the foregoing in forming the cap 46 as a dome with a filtering element 47 above the container connection. Also a tapered plug 48 is substituted for the straight plug 36, thus eliminating the passage 37 as the tapered plug itself acts as a metering valve.

Figure 8 differs from Figure 7 by forming a restricted aperture 49 midway of the passage 50 in an inserted sleeve 51 having a vertical outlet for the nipple 44 and tube 45. A loosely fitting plug 52 normally rests on the felt 33 in the cap 32 and carries a needle valve 53 projecting into the aperture 49, a spring 54 being interposed between the plug and the shoulder formed by the restricted aperture, the needle valve thus acting to restrict the effective area of the aper ture 49 as the lug is lifted by suction transmitted throng the tube 45.

The operation of the three forms of control valves disclosed in Figures 1 to 8 inclusive involve the supply of liquid lubricant to the intake manifold in lnverse proportion to the vacuum or depression therein. When no suction is present the plugs 36, 48 and 52 are pressed downwardly against the felt and the lubricant passages around the plug are of the maximum area. If the enne is then started up and operated at idling speeds, a maximum pressure drop is created in the intake manifold, and this hi h suction is communicated through the tube 45 to above the various plugs. In each case the spring is calibrated or adjusted so that such a high suction is suflicient to lift the plug to its extreme upward position as predetermined by the adjustable plugs of Figures 1 to 7, and the orifice diameter rela tive to the needle valve in Figure 8. In exoil will be supplied to the intake manifold under idling conditions.

As the carbureter throttle is opened the suction in the intake manifold decreases until at full opening, correspondin to full power, the suction has materially ecreased. Under conditions of full power, a maximum supply of lubricant is desired so that the springs are calibrated to overcome the re duced suction at full throttle to cause the plugs to return to their lowermost positions wherein the oil passages are fully opened. Under the described condition of low suction with the valve plugs open the suction acts to draw oil from the container through the felt and past the lug into the tube 45 and thence to the inta e manifold where it is mixed with the fuel and air mixture and carried into the engine cylinders, lubricating both the cylinder walls and the'valves.

The modified forms of this invention disclosed in Figures 9 and 10 differ from the foregoing forms in drawing air through the oil in the container, the oil mist picked up by the air being carried thereby to the intake manifold. The structure used to accom-' plish this result comprises a dome-like cover 56 having the filter element 47 and adapted to receive the glass container 22, a similar filler cap 30 bein used having a central tube 57 extending 50 tom of the container. This tube acts both as a filler and as an air inlet when the device is in use, the air being drawn down by the suction and thus caused to bubble up through the supply of lubricant in the container,

In Figure 9 a horizontal boss 58 is centrally passaged as indicated at 60 to afford an inner shoulder 61 against which a valve plug 62 is urged by a spring 63, a plug 64 being screwed into the outer end of the passage 60 to receive the nipple 44. A tapered groove 65 is cut in the wall of the passage 60 and shoulder 61 to form a bypass around the plug when the latter is seated on the shoulders, the area of the right hand end of the bypass tapering off in order to gradwn to adjacent the botuate the area of the opening as" the plug is passage 67. When the plug 52 is seated against the shoulder 68, it acts asa nonreturn valve so that a back-fire in the engine manifold would act to close this valve to prevent oil being blown out of the container.

The operation of the control valves of Figures 9 and 10 correspond with those previously described in regard to Figures 4 and 8 respectively, the only difl'erence between the corresponding structure being that the former handle liquid lubricant while the latter handle an oil mist picked up by air bubbling through the bath of lubricant.

It will thus be seen that I have produced an improved vacuum controlled mechanism for automatically metering a supply of lubricant to the cylinder of an internal com bustion engine in inverse proportion to the intake suction; in other Words, in direct proportion to the load carried by the engine.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A lubricating system for the cylinders of internal combustion engines, comprising a mounting bracket including a closure, a lubricant container removably secured to said closure, a conduit leadin from said closure to the intake manifold o f the engine, valved means in said closure between said conduit and the body of lubricant in said container, a filtering element embodied in said valved means, and means for rendering said valved means inversely responsive to the degree of suction in said conduit.

2. A lubricating system for the cylinders of internal combustion engines comprising a mounting bracket including a closure, a lubricant container fitting said closure, a bail pivoted to said closure and adapted to embrace said container, means for tensioning said bail to force said container into sealing contact with said closure, a conduit leading from said closure to the intake manifold of the engine, valved means in said closure between said conduit and the body of lubricant in said container, a filtering element embodied in said valved means, and means for rendering said valved means inversely responsive to the degree of suction in said conduit. 7

3. A lubricating system for internal combustion engines including the intake manifold theerof comprising an oil receptacle having a detachable bottom, a conduit connecting said receptacle to the intake manifold, a control valve in said receptacle above the oillevel therein comprising a suction responsive element adapted to restrict the passage of oil in proportion to the degree of suction in said conduit, and a filtering element embodied in said valve structure.

- 4. A- lubricating system for internal com bustion engines including the intake manifold thereof, comprising an oil receptacle having a detachable bottom, a conduit connecting said receptacle to the intake manifold, a control valve in said receptacle above the oil level therein comprising a movable element responsive to suction in said conduit, a gradually restricted bypass around said movable element whereby movement of said element in response to suction is adapted to proportionally reduce the area of said by-pass, and a filtering element embodied in said valve structure.

5. A lubricating device for the cylinders of internal combustion engines having intake manifolds comprising a lubricant supply source, a valve controlled outlet from said lubricant supply source, said valve comprising a movable element responsive to suetion in said conduit, a gradually restricted by-pass around said movable element whereby movement of said element in response to suction is adapted to proportionally reduce the area of said by-pass, and a filtering element embodied in said valve structure.

6. A lubricator of the class described comprising a container for lubricant, a top outlet therefrom, a conduit leading from said outlet to a source of varying suction, and a valve in said container comprising a suction responsive element adapted to restrict the passage of oil in proportion to the degree of suction in said conduit, and a filtering element embodied in said valve structure.

7. A lubricator of the class described comprising a container for lubricant, a top outlet therefrom, a conduit leading from said outlet to a source of varying suction, a valve in said container comprising a movable element responsive to suction in said conduit, a gradually restricted by-pass around said movable element whereby movement of said element in response to suction is adapted to proportionally reduce the area of said bypass, and a filtering element embodied in said valve structure.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

FRANK M. KINCAID. 

